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Tyner; Tippecanoe offices under review

INDIANAPOLIS — The Tyner and Tippacanoe post offices are two of around 95 low-activity post offices in Indiana placed recently on a list for review by the United States Postal Service (USPS).
Mary Dando, a USPS representative, said Wednesday that the fact that the offices were under review did not necessarily mean they would be closing.
“They are on the list — that means they are under study, but there won’t be a decision made one way or the other until December (or later),” said Dando.
Dando said that the criteria for a post office being considered “low activity” includes the following:
• Low foot traffic
• Average sales of less than $50 a day
• Less than 2 hours of work a day
“The postal service is in a very difficult situation,” said Dando. “We are required to operate as a business.”
Fortunately, a solution is being considered that would benefit small town businesses and keep postal service in the area. Dando said that people have expressed concern in the past about their town losing its identity, or zip code. She said that the USPS is considering having what she called “the village post office” in towns such as Tyner and Tippecanoe.
In this case, the post office would be moved into an existing building such as a grocery store, town hall, or library, increasing traffic for the post office as well as bringing more customers to the building.
Dando said that if this situation were to take place, “it will be a seamless transition, (with) no break in service.”
An added benefit to the village post office, Dando added, might be weekend service and extended hours.
While the post offices are under review for the next several months, Dando expressed that residents need not be concerned.
“Should (the post offices) close, there will be something there to serve (residents) equally well,” said Dando.